May 02, 2011

Emanuel to name Newark's Garry McCarthy new Chicago police superintendent

Newark, N.J., police Director Garry McCarthy, who debuted innovative and controversial crime-fighting techniques during a long career in New York, will be named Chicago’s new police superintendent on Monday, a source with Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel’s transition team said Sunday.

McCarthy, who was a contender for the Chicago job in 2003, was one of three finalists named Friday by the Chicago Police Board following weeks of interviewing and background checking. While the board is not scheduled to present its list to Emanuel for official action until he is sworn in May 16, the mayor-elect never planned on waiting that long and conducted his own candidate search that put McCarthy at the top.

McCarthy, 51, spent more time with Emanuel during that interview process and gained the edge over the other finalists, both Chicago veterans — Chief of Patrol Eugene Williams and Debra Kirby, deputy superintendent for the Bureau of Professional Standards.

In 2006, McCarthy took over the Newark Police Department. He and Mayor Cory Booker won accolades for improvements in public safety almost immediately. But the subsequent recession hit Newark especially hard, and crime has crept back up even as budget cuts have forced McCarthy to sharply cut the size of the police force.

McCarthy said Friday that he was impressed by Emanuel and hoped to get the Chicago job.

“Certainly, the culture of the NYPD is different from the culture of the Chicago Police Department, but cops are cops are cops,” McCarthy said.

In New York, McCarthy rose to prominence as the department was drawing both praise and criticism for new policing strategies, including the “broken windows” policy of arresting people for the most minor crimes.

McCarthy later ran the CompStat system that held commanders accountable for crime statistics in their districts in harsh monthly reviews.

All 50 aldermen on the Chicago City Council had to file paperwork earlier this year detailing their outside income and gifts. The Tribune took that ethics paperwork and posted the information here for you to see. You can search by ward number or alderman's last name.

The Cook County Assessor's office has put together lists of projected median property tax bills for all suburban towns and city neighborhoods. We've posted them for you to get a look at who's paying more and who's paying less.

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